Micro Focus (LSE:MCRO.L), the leading provider of enterprise application modernization, testing and management solutions, today announced the general availability of SilkTest 2011. The new suite of application testing software enables organizations to achieve the highest level of quality, flexibility and scalability possible throughout the entire software development lifecycle.

SilkTest now increases the quality of mission-critical applications running on any terminal-based host system through its integration with Micro Focus Rumba. In addition, SilkTest increases flexibility by extending its Web 2.0 capabilities with additional support for Silverlight, as well as enhanced support for Adobe Flex and Firefox. Additional features include User Access Compliance to support effective testing in standard user privileges, which not only makes it easier for users to work with SilkTest, but also eases admin control of the desktop environment.

As product lifecycles shrink, development practices must adapt to meet the demands of business. Organizations once had the luxury of time between product releases, but today’s fast business pace demands better software quality and quicker delivery times with fewer resources. SilkTest delivers advanced test automation capabilities that drive productivity, predictability and cost savings throughout the software development lifecycle. This latest release continues to push the boundaries of software development by enabling business domain experts to collaborate on test automation.

“Our mission with SilkTest is to help organizations achieve predictability and productivity throughout the development lifecycle and to drive smart innovation that enables effective collaboration across lines of business,” said Archie Roboostoff, Borland Portfolio Director, Micro Focus. “Where our competitors might focus on throwing complicated technology at a problem, we focus on fostering collaboration between the people developing the technology. Our first priority is providing our customers with tools that turn whiteboard ideas into customer-facing products faster than anyone in the industry. From cost savings to faster product delivery cycles, organizations using SilkTest will continue to build better software faster, regardless of framework, platform or system.”

New benefits and features of SilkTest:

• Complete integration with Rumba, Micro Focus’ leading terminal emulation product, delivers a unique visual testing approach to 3270 and 5250 applications. SilkTest’s object recognition and synchronization techniques, coupled with its ease of use, contribute to a productive and efficient testing experience.
• Support for Silverlight and Flex applications for both standalone applications and embedded
applications provides a more seamless, holistic and realistic testing experience and shortens the time to market for Web 2.0 applications
• Cross browser support for Internet Explorer 9 and Firefox 5 and 6 enables same test scripts to be used without modification for modern versions of both browsers, greatly reducing the test maintenance effort. One test working across all browsers reduces test cycles and gets products out to market faster than ever.

SilkTest is widely used by companies to replace repetitive manual testing with automated tests that can be run on a regular basis. Its ability to create powerful test automation across a broad range of application technologies helps organizations check software continuously as it changes, ensuring that defects don’t occur and that the applications run reliably. When using additional tools in the Borland solution set from Micro Focus, such as Caliber and SilkCentral Test Manager, customers will find that the time it takes to get an idea off the whiteboard and into the hands of an end user will be greatly reduced.